Optimal left ventricular diameter measurement in subjects with sigmoid septum: comparison with three-dimensional left ventricular volume.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the most appropriate measurement of left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter for subjects with the sigmoid septum (SS) by measuring the LV end-diastolic diameter at the base and mid-ventricle and by examining the relationship between these measurements and the three-dimensional (3D) echocardiographic LV end-diastolic volume.

Methods: In 91 patients who underwent echocardiography for screening cardiovascular abnormalities, the aorto-septal angle (ASA) was measured as an index of the sigmoid septum. LV end-diastolic diameter was measured at the base and mid-ventricular level (DD and DD, respectively), and their average value was calculated (DD).

Prevalence and characterization of Clostridioides difficile isolates from retail food products (vegetables and meats) in Japan.

The present study aimed to elucidate the prevalence of Clostridioides difficile in Japanese retail food products. For this purpose, retail food samples (242 fresh vegetables and 266 retail meat samples: 89 chicken meat; 28 chicken liver; 200 pork meat; 24 pig liver; 127 beef meat) were collected from 14 supermarkets between 2015 and 2019. C.

Derivation of Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Mutants from Multiple Lineages of Haemophilus influenzae and Identification of Mutations Associated with Fluoroquinolone Resistance.

is a pathogenic bacterium that causes respiratory and otolaryngological infections. The increasing prevalence of β-lactamase-negative high-level ampicillin-resistant (high-BLNAR) is a clinical concern. Fluoroquinolones are alternative agents to β-lactams.

Prevalence of Various Vaccine Candidate Proteins in Clinical Isolates of : Characterization of the Novel Pht Fusion Proteins PhtA/B and PhtA/D.

Pneumococcal proteins unrelated to serotypes are considered to be candidates of antigens in next-generation vaccines. In the present study, the prevalence of vaccine candidate protein genes, along with serotypes and antimicrobial resistance determinants, was investigated in a total of 57 isolates obtained from a tertiary care hospital in Japan. All of the pediatric isolates and 76.

Clonality investigation of clinical Escherichia coli isolates by polymerase chain reaction-based open-reading frame typing method.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) causes urinary tract infections, pneumonia, surgical site infections, and bloodstream infections and is the important pathogen for both community-acquired and healthcare-associated infections. To investigate the clonality of E.

Clonal Diversity and Genetic Characteristics of Methicillin-Resistant Isolates from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Japan.

Molecular epidemiological characteristics were investigated for 1,041 isolates of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) collected in a tertiary care hospital in northern Japan for a 4-year period (2011-2014). Genotypes (staphylococcal cassette chromosome [SCC], sequence type, , , etc.) and the presence of drug resistance/virulence factor genes in the isolates were analyzed by multiplex/uniplex PCR, and PCR-direct sequencing as needed.

Evaluation of Susceptibilities to Carbapenems and Faropenem Against Cephalosporin-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae Clinical Isolates with penA Mosaic Alleles.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a principal pathogen for sexually transmitted infections, especially for male urethritis. Currently, the prevalence of multidrug resistance is increasing. Carbapenems are broad-spectrum antimicrobials that are widely used in the clinical setting, especially for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

Multiclonal Expansion and High Prevalence of β-Lactamase-Negative Haemophilus influenzae with High-Level Ampicillin Resistance in Japan and Susceptibility to Quinolones.

β-Lactam-resistant is a clinical concern. A high prevalence (>40%) of β-lactamase-negative high-level ampicillin-resistant (high-BLNAR) isolates in Japan has been reported. However, the reasons for the expansion are unknown.

Contribution of Novel Amino Acid Alterations in PmrA or PmrB to Colistin Resistance in -Negative Escherichia coli Clinical Isolates, Including Major Multidrug-Resistant Lineages O25b:H4-ST131-30Rx and Non-x.

Colistin is a last-line drug for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. We previously reported four plasmid-mediated colistin resistance () gene-negative colistin-resistant clinical isolates, including the major pathogenic and fluoroquinolone-resistant strains O25b:H4-ST131-30Rx (isolates SRE34 and SRE44; MIC for colistin = 16 mg/liter), non-x (SME296; MIC = 8 mg/liter), and O18-ST416 (SME222; MIC = 4 mg/liter). In this study, we investigated the colistin resistance mechanism and identified novel amino acid substitutions or deletions in the PmrAB two-component system that activates (encoding a phosphoethanolamine transferase) and (encoding an undecaprenyl phosphate-alpha-4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose arabinosyl transferase) in all colistin-resistant isolates.

Release of large amounts of lipopolysaccharides from Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells reduces their susceptibility to colistin.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important etiological agent of opportunistic infections. Injectable colistin is available as a last-line treatment option for multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa infections.

[Four Cases of Bacteremia Caused by Helicobacter cinaedi in the Urological Ward at About the Same Time].

Here we report the outbreak of bacteremia caused by Helicobacter cinaedi (H. cinaedi) in the urology ward. Case 1 was a man in his seventies with prostate cancer.

Inoculum effect of high concentrations of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus on the efficacy of cefazolin and other beta-lactams.

The existence of a cefazolin inoculum effect (InE) of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), which is speculated to be a reason for cefazolin treatment failure in MSSA infections, is controversial. In Japan, although cefazolin is one of the therapeutic choices for patients with MSSA infection, there are few reports of this effect. Additionally, the association between InE and blaZ type in beta-lactams other than cefazolin has not been well documented.

Serotype distribution, antimicrobial resistance and prevalence of pilus islets in pneumococci following the use of conjugate vaccines.

Purpose: In Japan, the 7-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7) was introduced in 2010 and, in 2013, the PCV7 was replaced with the 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13). This study was conducted to investigate serotypes, antimicrobial resistance and prevalence of pilus islets in pneumococcal isolates from inpatients in a Japanese tertiary hospital.

Methodology: From April 2011 to February 2016, 151 isolates [95 (18 children, 77 adults) and 56 (19 children, 37 adults) in the PCV7 and PCV13 periods, respectively] were collected.

Contribution of Type II Topoisomerase Mutations to Fluoroquinolone Resistance in Enterococcus faecium from Japanese Clinical Setting.

High-level fluoroquinolone resistance is conferred by the mutation of conserved serine and acidic amino acids in the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of the A subunits of the type II topoisomerases, DNA gyrase (GyrA) and topoisomerase IV (ParC). In Japan, fluoroquinolone-resistant Enterococcus faecium continues to emerge in clinical settings. We analyzed 131 Japanese E.

Tigecycline Nonsusceptibility Occurs Exclusively in Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Escherichia coli Clinical Isolates, Including the Major Multidrug-Resistant Lineages O25b:H4-ST131-H30R and O1-ST648.

Tigecycline (TGC) is a last-line drug for multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae We investigated the mechanism(s) underlying TGC nonsusceptibility (TGC resistant/intermediate) in Escherichia coli clinical isolates. The MIC of TGC was determined for 277 fluoroquinolone-susceptible isolates (ciprofloxacin [CIP] MIC, <0.125 mg/liter) and 194 fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates (CIP MIC, >2 mg/liter).

Identification of a bacteriolysis-associated virulence factor against lung epithelial cells in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO-1 cell lysate.

The precise identities of the virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa after bacteriolysis are still unknown. In the present study, we identified PA0423 protein, which was isolated from the Pseudomonas PAO-1 strain, as the factor responsible for cytotoxicity in lung epithelial cells. Whole bacterial cell lysate of P.

[Nationwide surveillance of parenteral antibiotics containing meropenem activities against clinically isolated strains in 2012].

The nationwide surveillance of antibacterial susceptibility to meropenem (MEPM) and other parenteral antibiotics against clinical isolates during 2012 in Japan was conducted. A total of 2985 strains including 955 strains of Gram-positive bacteria, 1782 strains of Gram-negative bacteria, and 248 strains of anaerobic bacteria obtained from 31 medical institutions were examined. The results were as follows; 1.

Prevalence and genetic diversity of arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) in clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci: identification of ACME type I variants in Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME), a genomic island consisting of the arc and/or opp3 gene clusters found in staphylococcal species, is related to increased bacterial adaptability to hosts. Staphylococcus epidermidis is considered a major ACME reservoir; however, prevalence and genetic diversity of ACME in coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) have not yet been well characterized for clinical isolates in Japan. A total of 271 clinical isolates of CNS in a Japanese hospital were investigated for the presence and genotype of ACME and SCCmec.

Characterization of PVL/ACME-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (genotypes ST8-MRSA-IV and ST5-MRSA-II) isolated from a university hospital in Japan.

The ST8 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type IVa, known as USA300, is a prevalent community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) clone in the United States and has been spreading worldwide. The USA300 characteristically harbors Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) genes and the arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME, type I). Prevalence and molecular characteristics of PVL(+) and/or ACME(+) S.

[Nationwide surveillance of parenteral antibiotics containing meropenem activities against clinically isolated strains in 2009].

The antibacterial activity of meropenem (MEPM) and other parenteral antibiotics against clinical isolates of 2655 strains including 810 strains of Gram-positive bacteria, 1635 strains of Gram-negative bacteria, and 210 strains of anaerobic bacteria obtained from 30 medical institutions during 2009 was examined. The results were as follows; (1) MEPM was more active than the other carbapenem antibiotics tested against Gram-negative bacteria, especially against enterobacteriaceae and Haemophilus influenzae. MEPM was also active against most of the species tested in Gram-positive and anaerobic bacteria, except for multidrug resistant strains including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).